So we were up and off at day break – well not quite –  to ‘NZs most colourful and diverse volcanic area’.  Several are billed as such and you really don’t know which one to pick.  Anyway, Wai O Tapu means sacred waters.  The Wai O Tapu thermal area has the largest area of surface thermal activity within the Taupo Volcanic one.  The area covers some 18 square kilometers with the volcanic dome of Maungakakaramea (Rainbow Mountain) at its northern boundary.  The whole area is covered in collapsed craters, boiling (and cold) mud pools, water and steaming fumaroles (holes through which hot gases escape).  Driving through the area you can see steam rising amongst the trees.  Our first stop was the Lady Knox geyser which erupts every day at 1015.  And the reason it does so with such predictability, is because they spike it with organic soap powder.  Apparently, there used to be an open prison on this site.  The prisoners were planting the trees for the forest surrounding the area.  They came across nice hot water, decided to wash their clothes here, saves time and energy heating up water, when they added soap the water erupted.  You can just abut make out the packet of soap powder to the left.  Once added.. starts to foam…

Then bubbles a bit more before it explodes.

Here’s me and him

A bit morefrothing…

And gradully petering out.   The whole went on for over an hour.  Most people had gone after 15 minutes, but a stalwort few – about 10 of us – stayed on.  Afterall never seen a geyser before.  The geyser was named after the governer’s wife who came to visit geyser after it was first discovered.

This area of mud pools was just up (or down depending on your appraoch!) from Lady Knox Geyser so we visited these before going back to look at look at more stuff in the DoC managed thermal  scenic reserve.  The biggest mudpool here are about 5m across. 

the temperatures vary from 60 to 80C in the mud pools and 100C in the steam.

The mud features themselves are called acid sulphate because the fluids are acidic and the dominant minerals are sulphates.  Some great spluttering liquid  mud pools …

… and more viscous ones.. plop, plop, plop.